I’ve been thinking about starting a small “accountability group”.
A small group that I can profess my monthly goals and meet the next month to see if I actually did them. And, of course, others in the group would do the same because that’s only fair. Right?
There’s something about the public proclamation of stating what you plan to do that somehow pushes you to perform.
And believe me, there are days when I could really use that push.
Last year, I met monthly with a small group of women entrepreneurs. We set our own personal and professional goals each month. There was a system in which we could grade ourselves on how we did. It was a very productive year.
Once I put the goals on paper and shared them with the group, it was like a magical force that willed me to meet my goals for that month. I didn’t want to admit to the small group of women that soon became my friends that I had missed the mark. There were months when I didn’t meet every goal I had set. But that was OK because I was always moving closer toward my goals. It was my best year yet.
I also liked the camaraderie and excitement that happened when I helped someone celebrate a small milestone or a big accomplishment. It’s inspirational and helps me to stay focused on my own goals and dreams. That year was more than just about professional goals. I met many personal goals too. I had intentional goals like a date night with my husband and planned one-on-one time with each child.
By tracking my goals that year, I could see my progress on paper. I also had a visual reference where I was falling short and needed to push a little harder toward that particular goal. Yes, it was a very good year.
Now that I no longer meet with that small group, I seem to have a harder time setting goals and sticking to them. I’m still motivated and have lots of things I plan to achieve. But without that public proclamation, I seem to miss the mark more often than I’d like.
So I recently started writing down my monthly goals again for the month. While that has helped drive me toward some of my goals, it isn’t the same without that small group to hold me accountable.
Tracie McPherson, a working-mom to three children, wrote this blog for momaha. Read more from Tracie by clicking here.
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